Reptile & Amphibian Forums

What do you do when this happens? Eggs unable to separate...seem to be obvious slugs...any suggestions? Thanx. Dave.

Dave what I do is just try to minimize the mold. I take a Q-tip and remove as much mold as possible every couple days. I sometimes take some vermiculite and sprinkle on top of the bad egg to help repress the mold. But usually if the other eggs are good they will suvive and hatch with little trouble. Sometimes eggs which have been attacked by mold and still hatch may produce a hatchling with an anusual pattern or color but this is not a genetic trait and will not pass down in future breedings.
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King Snakes! Who can make a better mouse trap?
J Sierra

Sometimes eggs which have been attacked by mold and still hatch may produce a hatchling with an anusual pattern or color but this is not a genetic trait and will not pass down in future breedings.

I agree with the info you provided prior to the above statement.....

I would love to see a documented case supporting the statement....
I've "heard" of temperature fluctuation having some effect on unusual pattern and color, but never mold.......I am having a hard time believing this.....
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...
www.coastalbendcaptivebreeding.com

I read this before can't remember where it was a long time ago. However I did have an eastern kingsnake that did not hatch but it did develope in an egg that was attacked by mold and when I cut it open it had an almost perfect stripe. I kept it for years in a jar filled with alcohol. Don't know if I still have it around. It's face was a bit deformed and I suspect that's why it could not cut it's way out of the egg. Maybe some one else knows of other instances?
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King Snakes! Who can make a better mouse trap?
J Sierra

I think it was a moldy red milk egg posted last season(Hardwick??)with a strange head pattern.

Good, healthy eggs will resist the bad stuff. I've had eggs go completely black and damp, the good eggs attached directly to them have no issues at all. Just keep it from taking over the substrate and turning into a big "fuzzball" if that starts to happen.
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Brian Suter

www.serpenteer.com

Hi,

Those should be very easy to remove, they are on the outside of the pile, so that makes life much easier. Just gently pry the fuzzy ones off. As long as you take your time and do it slowly, you should have no issues. I personally would separate them, because they look like dead eggs and not slugs (my slugs don't seem to get fuzzy). While they don't always, dead eggs can damage healthy ones, especially if the shell of the dead egg is compromised and the bacteria laden egg fluid is allowed to ooz onto (and remain) on the good eggs. If you do tear the shell of the dead egg and get some funky goo on the good eggs, just swab it off with a q-tip and peroxide. Good luck.

Will

I wonder how a wild mother snake in the wild separates eggs.........

You know without q tips and all.....lol

Oh yeah.....I forgot.....they eat them......duh!

I know for a fact that all wild clutches aren't 100 percent fertile........but the good ones hatch.......hmmmmmm
I never separate eggs.......good or bad.........
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...
www.coastalbendcaptivebreeding.com

Hi John,

Good points about wild eggs, however I think wild clutches have much fewer incidences of dead eggs than in captive conditions. I believe that most of the dead/infertiles/slugs that I get are a direct result of lapses in supoport on my part. I haven't found many, probably les than 20, but of the wild clutches of E. milksnake, smooth green and N. black racer eggs that I have found, none contained dead/infertiles or slugs.

Anyway, your probably right, if left alone, the good eggs would probably hatch, but I don't like to take chances. If an egg is dead, I remove it. Its easy enough to do and it gives me piece of mind, especially when I'm counting the days on an important clutch. If the dead eggs are removed slowly and with patience, I don't even need the q-tip for clean-up. Thanks.

Will